So You're Leaving
by Lucy McGonagle
Summary: It's Aelita and Jeremie fluff, my favorite thing. Please review, and eat pie. :)


Summary: It's Jeremie and Aelita mush, as usual. Please have fun, enjoy, and please review.

Disclaim: I don't own C.L. (wish I did), and I don't own Phil Collin's song 'Can't Stop Lovin' You.' (Again, wish I did)

So You're Leaving

_Dear Jeremie,_

_Hello. I know it's been a while since I've contacted you. I've been pretty busily lately, or that's what I've been telling myself. Things are pretty normal here, I guess. (Not like I, of all people, am a good judge of normalcy.) I've joined the choir here, thanks mainly to you and Odd practically prodding me to do so. It's quite fun actually. I do not quite grasp some of the more what my roommate calls 'religious' songs, but they are beautiful to hear anyway. _

_Anyway, enough about me. How are things at Princeton? Yumi called the other day, and said that Odd's been causing quite a ruckus with some new song he invented. (Why am I not surprised?) I guess Ulrich's already Mr. Soccer-Playing-Star. (That's Yumi's words, I swear.) She also said he's the only non-stuck up one on the team. Again, I'm hardly surprised._

_How are you, Jeremie? In your last letter, you sounded a little sad. I hope I'm wrong, or that you're certainly all right now. You know I hate it when you're sad. I'm sending an old picture I found, that hopefully will make you smile. Have you begun work on anything new? _

_Well, Jeremie, that's all for now. Please write soon, and I miss you very much. _

_Love From,_

_Aelita_

_P.S. If Odd even thinks to some how e-mailing this new song of his to me, tell him I will drive (Gods save us!) over there, no matter how far away it is, and personally hit him on the head. Yours truly, Aelita. _

The blond haired young man smiled as he read the last few lines of the letter. That would be just the thing Aelita would do, too, threaten to hit Odd on the head. She'd do it, too.

His smile widened as he looked down at the old picture she had sent him. It was when he, Aelita, and their three best friends were still in high school. They looked about fourteen or fifteen. Standing in a small semicircle, the five friends stood, arms around shoulders, grinning and laughing, Odd's dog Kiwi sitting right in the middle.

Jeremie sighed, and looked out the window. It seemed so long ago, when they had fought X.A.N.A., and Aelita had been a virtual elf, not a human. The living-double-lives-to-save-the-world days were finally over, and Aelita was materialized.

He smiled wryly, adjusting his oval glasses. How ironic. He had materialized Aelita in order to be with her. Yet only a few years later, she went off to a music collage, while he, Ulrich, Odd and Yumi went to Princeton, thanks to a scholarship they had received.

That had been the worst day of his life, when she left for the collage, a hundred miles away.

So you're leavin' 

_In the morning_

_On the early train_

_Well, I could say_

_Everything's all right_

_And I could pretend_

_And say goodbye…_

Flashback- 

"I'll write, I promise."

Aelita, black eyes bright with kept-back tears, stood in front of the window in Jeremie's room, trying to cheer him up. It was the night before she had to leave, and the other three were packing.

Jeremie had smiled sadly, and given her a hug, blushing as he did so. He had never found enough courage to tell her exactly how he felt about her. Or how much this parting was tearing him apart inside.

"I know," he told her. "I'll write too. I can't let you forget who you are: our princess."

Aelita had laughed slightly at this. "You'll never let go of that nickname, will you, Jeremie?"

"As soon as Odd stop calling me Einstein-"

"Which will be never," Aelita had said with him in unison, now grinning. Then her grin melted, and she hugged Jeremie back, her face in his chest. Jeremie sighed, wishing that they could have stayed that way forever. He knew that was impossible.

Got your ticket 

_Got your suitcase_

_Got your leaving smile_

_I could pretend that's the way it goes_

_I could pretend that you wouldn't know_

_That I was lying…_

End Flashback- 

Jeremie sighed, took out a piece of paper, and began to write.

_Hello back to you, Aelita._

_Well, Princess, everything is good here. Yeah, Odd has ANOTHER song that he remixed, just as weird as the last one. Yumi almost strangled him when he played it really loud one morning during breakfast. (We're allowed to bring C.D.s' to listen to…wish K.H.S. had let us do that…) I wish I could have taken a picture for you, but Ulrich has stolen-and broken-my cell phone. He's paying for a new one, but I think he got enough punishment when he first broke it. He sat on it on accident, and got his bottom a little fried by a moderate electric shock. How he did that one, I still don't know._

_I'm fine, really. I was a little depressed when I wrote last time, but that was mainly because of my cell phone, and of course, my ever missing of you. That picture is great, by the way. Where'd you dig up that one!_

_At the moment, I'm actually developing a computer game that has a slight resemblance to good ol' Lyoko. There's no X.A.N.A. or anything thing like that, but the enemies are robotic, instead of actual living, breathing monsters, like in most virtual video/computer games. That's one cool thing about being about designing games. You can make them look like whatever you want, and blow them up a safe distance away, instead of right in front of them. _

_I miss you too, Princess. Don't forget you can always call me. I don't care if you want to call in the middle of the night. You wanna talk? I'll listen, and gladly. I miss hearing your voice. (I hope that Odd doesn't get a hold of this somehow. You know him and any thing that sounds the least bit corny; then again, Ulrich and Yumi aren't much better…)_

_With All My Love, my Princess of song,_

_Jeremie_

Aelita smiled as she folded up the letter, brushing a strand of bright pink hair out of her eyes. Jeremie was always the sweetest of her friends. He was always the one who would blush and smile when completed, instead of boasting, always the one to offer a smile instead of a frown.

"Princess of song, indeed," she muttered, grinning widely.

"That another letter from your boyfriend, _Jeremie?_" asked a teasing voice from behind her. Aelita blushed darkly, then glared at her roommate and new friend, Ana.

"He isn't my boyfriend, Ana," Aelita said. "Just a close friend."

Ana grinned wickedly. "I know. But you do act a little couple-ish whenever you talk about him, often as it is." Aelita raised her eyebrows in question, but Ana just grinned again, and half-skipped to the bathroom. Aelita shook her head. Ana was a talented drummer, and a total romantic. Aelita, a slight romantic herself, was used to the gentle teasing she got from her roommate, who seemed positive that she and Jeremie were made for each other.

Aelita smiled. Sometimes, though she would never admit it to anyone, she had that thought often herself. But with even four plus years on Earth behind her, she was still unsure of what all some things like true love and attraction really meant. However, thinking back, she always noticed there had defiantly been something there. Something strong and wonderful, only hidden, between them. She sighed, thinking of the days right before she left for collage. It was the first time she had ever been parted from her four greatest, and first, human friends, Jeremie especially.

Flashback- 

_We took a taxi_

_To the station_

_Not a word was said_

_I saw you walk across the road_

_For the last time, I don't know_

A train whistle blew, and Aelita, laden with backpack and suitcase, gave one last hug to the 'gang'. Odd had ruffled her hair; Yumi, had given her an almost bone-crushing hug; Ulrich gave her a high five, and gently tugged on her ear.

"Keep yourself outta trouble now, ya hear?" he and Odd asked in unison, grinned at each other, and before she had even thought of asking for help, grabbed her suitcase, and handed to one of the conductor at the many doors. Yumi and Aelita rolled their eyes at each other, as if to say "_boys_".

Aelita turned last to Jeremie. His blue eyes were bright and sad, but he smiled for her anyway, and then pulled her into a gentle hug. Kissing her forehead, he then pulled away from her, both of them blushing slightly at his little show of emotion. The look in their eyes' spoke words that neither could have said without crying. Aelita smiled at all of them, waved, and followed the conductor onto the train.

She leaned out the window, and waved at them. They all waved back, then left. Expect for Jeremie, who stood on the docking station, smiling sadly, until he disappeared from view.

Aelita's heart hurt.

Feeling humble 

_I heard a rumble _

_On the railway track_

_And when I hear the whistle blow_

_I turn away so you won't know_

_That I'll be crying…_

End Flashback- 

Two days later, Aelita decided to take a surprise visit to Jeremie. Why, she didn't know. She had originally told herself it was to see all of her friends, which was true, in a way. But Jeremie had been in her head since his last letter. She need to see him again, most of all. Something in the way he had brushed off his being sad made her suspicious that he wasn't being totally truthful, in order not to worry her.

Turning on the radio, what sounded like a love song came over the speakers in her little white punch-bug, with it's pink dice –an old present from Odd, none other-dangling from the rearview mirror. Aelita smiled as she half-listened, strangely nervous about seeing Jeremie. Excited, and nervous.

_Even try,_

_I'll always be here by your side_

_Why, why, why?_

_I never wanted to say_

_Why even try_

_I'm always here, if you change,_

_Change your mind…_

Jeremie dialed Aelita's dorm room number, weirdly nervous. The phone rang twice, then a girl's voice-not Aelita's-answered.

"Yeah?"

Jeremie cleared his throat. "Uh, hi. Is Aelita there? This is her friend, Jeremie."

The girl on the other end giggled suddenly, then stopped. "She left this really early morning. She said she was gonna go visit…someone."

Jeremie's heart leaped. "She did!" he asked, gripping the phone much harder than he need to.

"Yeah, she did. Didn't say whom. Sorry, Jeremie." The girl paused, then added softly: "She's in love with you, ya know."

Anything Jeremie had expected for her to say, it wasn't that. For a second, he started at the phone his hand, then remembered that someone was on the other end. Taking a deep breath, he asked, "You're joking, right?"

The girl sighed. "You're a stubborn as her, aren't you? No, I'm not joking. Why? Hopeful?" Jeremie blushed deeply, and was quite wordless for a few moments. The girl took his silence as an answer, and chuckled. "I guess so. But don't mind me. I'm just a romantic."

Jeremie smiled in spite of himself. "You're not the only one. Hey, um, thanks. I gotta go. This is Ana, her roommate, right?"

"Yep, and you're welcome. Say hi to Aelita for me." She hung up, and Jeremie was speechless for many a minute.

_In love with me?_ He thought, stunned. No. It couldn't possible. Could it?

There was only one way to find out.

Jeremie stood suddenly, heading for the parking lot. If Aelita left in the morning, she would be there soon. He checked his watch, then decided something. Running back to the dorm, he uncovered a small, black velvet box from under a pile of books. A gift he never had the guts to give her, until now. He ran back to the lot, sat down on the front steps, and waited.

Aelita looked at the dashboard clock. She had been driving for almost four hours, and was almost there. What would she say to him? What if he didn't…she shook her head violently, trying erase the thought that had tried to creep into her brain. The song that was playing earlier was now back on again-it was 80's music, and she and Jeremie-who had set the radio in the first place-both loved 80's music. Trying to forget what if thoughts, she listened to the song, and thought of Jeremie.

'_Cause I can't stop loving you_

_No, I can't stop loving you_

_No, I won't stop loving you_

_Why should I?_

_Tell me-_

_Why should I?_

_Even try…_

Aelita jumped when she realized she had almost missed the road to the parking lot. Turning quickly, she half-sped into the lot, glancing around for a place to a park. Seeing one near the front, she pulled in, and shut the car off.

She looked up, and her heart stopped.

There he was. Sweet, handsome Jeremie, sitting on the front steps, smiling as he stared straight at her. She felt her heart melt, and for a moment, couldn't move. Jeremie stood, and began to walk over to her car. Coming back to Earth, Aelita scrambled out of the car, and almost ran into him.

For a second, all she could do was stare up at him. The blue eyes, the hair, the smile, the glasses-she felt as if it wasn't almost unreal. She tried to think of something to say, and opened her mouth.

Then she couldn't think of anything at all. Jeremie had simply put his hands on her waist, and kissed her full on the lips, right there, in the middle of the Princeton University parking lot. Aelita didn't care where she was. A joy stronger than anything she had ever felt before erupted in her, and she threw her arms around his neck, kissing him back.

The kiss ended to soon. Jeremie pulled away first reluctantly, still keeping his gentle hold on her. For a few moments, neither of them said anything, just stared in awe at each other, panting slightly. Aelita tightened her grip around his neck. He felt wonderfully real in her arms, and she wanted him to stay there. Jeremie smiled.

"I missed you, Princess." He took one hand off her waist, reached in his shirt pocket, and pulled out a little black box. He smiled, and handed it to her. Aelita, still dumbstruck with Jeremie's sudden kiss, stared at it for a few seconds, then took it.

About to open it, she looked up at him again. Jeremie smiled warmly, and touched her cheek. "Go on, open it. It's something I should have given you a long time ago."

With a shaking hand, Aelita slowly pulled up the lid, then gasped. A silver necklace lay inside. A heart pendent, with a single pink rose twined around it, hung on the little chain.

She looked up at him, her eyes bright with tears of joy. "It's beautiful! I don't deserve-" Jeremie smiled, silencing her with a finger on her lips.

"It's not nearly as beautiful as the young woman that holds it now," he told her, and kissed her forehead, then put his lips close to her ear. "I love you, Aelita. I always have, I always will, and I'll never stop." He gently took the box from her, and pulled out the necklace. Then he opened it like a locket, and handed it back to her. Inside one of the two halves was a miniature copy of a picture of Jeremie and Aelita, an old one. They had been thirteen, and it had been Aelita's first visit to Earth. Aelita wore Jeremie's glasses over her eyes, grinning and waving, and Jeremie had an arm around her shoulders, making a face at the camera. Aelita grinned at the sight, then looked at the other half, and saw, in tiny gold writing, _to my beautiful Princess: I will never stop loving you._ _Love, Jeremie _

Aelita blushed and smiled widely, then blinked. A single tear of joy went down her cheek as Jeremie put the necklace around her neck, and clasped it. He then tilted her head up, wiping the tear away, not speaking. Aelita threw herself at him suddenly, burying her face in his chest as she hugged him. Jeremie just held her, rocking back and forth gently, stroking her hair. After a few moments, Aelita looked up at him.

"I love you, too, Jeremie," she told him. Jeremie just smiled widely, and kissed her again.

"Oh, my God!"

A sudden shout tore the air, and the two parted. Look at the front steps, they saw that Ulrich, Odd and Yumi all stood there, open mouth and gapping. Jeremie and Aelita just smiled at each other. They had a lot of explaining to do.

_No, I won't stop loving you_

_Why would I?_

Sooooo…what did you think, dear readers? Please, please review…I'll give you a candy bar! Love from: Lady Lucy McGonagle


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